Auto Theft Suspect Holds Mesa Family Hostage Before Evading Police

The Mesa Police Department is looking for a man it says held a family hostage for about an hour and a half this morning before sneaking away from the scene as police closed in.

The suspect, a black guy with dreadlocks, was stopped by police prior to the hostage situation while driving near Guadalupe and Extension Roads about 7 a.m. today. The officer who pulled him over discovered the car he was driving was stolen.

The suspect ran from the scene and into a nearby neighborhood, where he slipped through the doggy door and hid inside the victims' house as police searched for him outside.

The man held the family hostage for about an hour and a half, before taking them out of the house to drive him out of the area.